Earth excavating teeth for bulldozer moldboards



C. B. FOSTER April 14, 1953 EARTH EXCAYATING TEETH FOR BULLDOZER MOLDBOARDS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed April 20, 1950 Fig.

Clay/on 5. Foster INVENTOR.

' Attorney;

April 14, 1953 c. B. FOSTER 2,634,520

EARTH EXCAVATING TEETH FOR BULLDOZER MOLDBOARDS Filed April 20, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Clayton 5. Foster INVENTOR.

amvzh Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED srAr ear ELNT EARTH EXCAVATING: TEETH EQR- BUIJLQQZEB? OLDEOARDS" Clayton Bzolloster, Maysvjlle; Okla;

implicatio Ammo; erial1' No 1 3; .L

The present invention relates to novel ways and; means whereby a conventional type bulldozer blade ormoldboard may 'beaugmented and; more successfully used in excavatingand'disintegrating relatively hard and stubborn earth for,- mations whereby to greatly increase the utility and eificiency of said-bladeas an earth mover.

More particularly, I provide a. plurality of coacting heavyduty disintegrator'teeth which are, readily applicable and removable which' arevindividually unique in construction and which have theirupper ends removablylatched but securely held in operative position on the corresponding upper end portion of the statedblade.

An over-all and, therefore, general object of the. invention is to tr o ura lnfun tiona ly andh wise mpr v n.so-oa 1ed'a ta hm nt; teeth devised by others and, in, so doine o provi a digginganddisintegratingassemblage in which manufacturers and users will find their expected needs fully met, contained and amply available,

Another objectof' the invention has to do with a heavy duty, and'reliable tooth which is equipped with simple and practical'stabilizing means which is rigidly but releasably; connectible with the usualscraperbar across the lower edge portion ofithe;moldboard saidmeans being in the form of a shank bracing cleat which rests against the scraper and is provided with a horizontal V'- shaped' rib, the vertex of which is provided w th saw-teethwhich assume an angle corresponding; tothe angle of the ,tooth proper whereby to ,appreciahlyaugment the; ripping and disintegrating properties of the latter.-

What ismore, novelty is predicated onf'an at tachmenttype tooth embodying a vertical shanlg whose upper end is provided with a right an; gularlyshaped clip which serves as ahanger and; tabilizer andi i nadi i i n, is. provided with. r 'upstand ner eeper. fla e where y said." upn rnd m y be r adily utseourely, latcnedgin a uc es ly operable pos tion.v Then, oo, a urther. phase ofgn velty hastodo'with a plu rality. of; slottjecl'. lugs which are, welded, to the upper header flange portion of; the moldboard, and which are, longitudinally spaced to. accom-, med ate-a. heavy handlevequipp lat hi rod, said, rod passing throu hzthe slots in. the-lugsand" engaging the stated keeper flanges to hold he atta hin olipsor bra kets. nv pla e,., ai l rod nstitutin a ra it seated lat v m mbe and ein w thdrawable; from. e s otted; lug o r ar cilitate. applicationv and: removal. of the several; xcavating and. disintegrating i teeth,

In the accompanying sheets of drawings where- 2; inli-ke numerals are employed todesignate like partst-h-roughout; the views:

Fig. 1 is aperspective; view-of-a bulldozer-blade or mold-boardequippedwith readilyapplicable and removable excavating; and; disintegrating teeth constructed inaccordance Withthe prin-- ciples of the present invention;

Fig; 2=is a fragmentaryrear elevation ofthe right 'handportion of the structureshown; in- Fig. '1;

Fig; 3 is-a perspective-viewof the same end portion showingthe-upper-corner only and show ing-themanner-in; which the handle is -tur-nedup for purposes of withdrawingthe latching rodin the manner to be hereinafter described;

Fig; 4; is a vertical section on; the; line 44 of Fig; 1-, looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig; 5 is-a perspective- View of; one of' the tooth-- units per-se and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary'top-planviewwith certain parts appearingin full lines intheir normal; position, and correspondingqparts appearing in; phantom or broken lines inother: positions.

Reference being had first; to the old 13811753311111" referring in particular to Figs. 1 and 4; the earth; moving; moldboard j or' s c-called bulldozer blade; is denoted by the numeral 8 and-'is of customaryhorizontally elongated cQncavo-convex form; The usual horizontal, scraper blade [0- is; bolted or otherwise secured'as at l2 to the lower 'hopigonta edge r o o th w db h h nu: morals M designate vertical; end flanges and 1,5; denotes the horizontalgtopflangfl The pusher beam is denotedat l'ii'and-complerne ntal diagonal-v braces by the numerals;,llrli;

l i fiili yill t 11 he. pr ncipl s 0 he 133 5 3 3. invention, 1;; pr y de. aplurali y .q ver ioali ionsie ldililfilly paced; ues Q 6315;- nd; 113 @1161. Welded; to t flan e lfii cl n itudinal yo spaced; points as bestishowni F li.-.. he u s. re, rovided withver ioa l e on a edls otsllwh erve t a c mmoda anins tam andirem e able heavy. latoh n i odzz; This rodlis nsertedi hro gh th lot n thus normally anchored inf he. s.- However,, it may be withdrawn from. the lugs t as shown in, dotted. lines; in Eig 6., ItJis, pr vid diat one end: wi hiral washer 2,4 t and cotterkey, 26, (see: Eig- 1) andi-atithe oppositeend itjs; p ovided with. a lateral handl 2.8L This han leis normally, swung. down, and held in, a; retainer notch 30 formed at one endof thefiange lfiAseef Eigszrzand 3,;respectively) In Fig, ;2 ,tliehano i sehownfdr pp d downintothe. ,o,t h:.and: ndw se. displa me t. of th latohi gro h anrea vented. When it is desired to slip the rod out g 3 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 the latch handle is swung up from the retaining notch to the position shown in Fig. 3.

It will be noticed in connection with the means just described that by removing the cotter key 26 and taking off the washer 24 (Fig. 1) the latching rod 22 is thus free to be slid through the slots in the various lugs l8, that is, from right to left as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Not only this, the cross-section or diameter of the rod is considerably less than the vertical lengths of the slots 20 in the lugs. This arrangement is to allow clearance and play of the rod in the slots. As a matter of fact, it is possible to bodily lift the rod in the slots in the several lugs suffi ciently high to facilitate the insertion and removal of the excavating and disintegrating tooth units 32. Normally, however, it is preferred to completely withdraw the rod from the slotted lugs to permit all of the units to be readily ap plied and removed. There are instances, howe er, when it is desired to merely temporarily take off one unit and as stated, this can actually be done without completely slipping the rod out of the lugs. Another way is to simply remove the cotter key 26 and washer 24 and partly slip the rod through the first two lugs at the left in Fig. 1 and thus clear the way for applying or removing a single tooth unit at this end of the moldboard only.

Taking up the construction now of the various units 32, they are all the same in construction and a description of one will suifice for all. Referring to Fig. 5, the beveled tooth or prong is denoted by the numeral 34 and this is at an obtuse angle with respect to the rectangular heavy duty shank 36. The adapter clip or bracket for attaching and hanging the units 32 is denoted by the numeral 38 and this is of general right angular form and includes a depending vertical flange 40 which is welded to the upper end of the shank 36 and is at right angles thereto. Then, there is a shelf-like intermediate hanger flange 42 which rests on the aforementioned moldboard flange 15, the latter flange then serving as a sort of a ledge. The remaining or third flange 44 is also vertical and this is a keeper flange. Therefore, when the two flanges 42 and 40 are in place, the flange 44 rises between the adjacent pairs of lugs l8-l8. It is of a height at least equal to the length of the slots in said lugs. It follows, therefore, that with the brackets 38 in place and the rod 22 located in the slotted lugs, the rod forms a latch for holding all of the several units 32 on the upper portion or flange l of the moldboard. Attached to the lower end of the shank 38 'is a hold down stabilizer cleat 46 and this comprises an open frame 48 which is welded to the shank and which has a horizontal plate-like portion 50 on its bottom. One edge of this plate is beveled and of general V-shaped form and provides a rib with saw-teeth 5|. This rib is in the same plane as the tooth 34. The

opposite edge of the plate portion if formed into an anchoring lip or flange 52 which is at the correct angle to engage the cutting edge of the scraper blade Hl as best shown in Fig. 4. The

frame 48 is at approximate right angles to the longitudinal axis of the shank 36, as illustrated. Thus a substantial support is had for balancing and stabilizing the attachable lower end portion of the units 32 to the blade l0.

Reference being had to Fig. 1, the complete assemblage, ready for use, is fully illustrated. As shown here, a stabilizing cleat 46 serves to anchor and attach the toothed lower end of each unit 32. On the other hand, the right angle adapter clips or brackets 38 serve to hang and suspend the upper ends of the shanks on the ledge flange l5 of the moldboard. The latching rod 22 seated in the slots in the various lugs l8 and with the handle 28 down" in the retainer notch 30, as shown in Fig. 2, said rod serves to latch and releasably hold the various adapter brackets in place.

A moldboard and-bulldozer blade constructed with these various attachments latched in place thereon has its capacity and utility greatly enhanced. Experiments have shown that these excavating and disintegrating teeth units when applied as shown will enable a bulldozer to perform unexpectedly new results. In fact, the teeth will dig into rigid packed road surfaces, into shale and actually into coal. They perform work for digging and disintegrating solid masses short of solid rock formations.

It is believed that the mode of applying and removing the attachments will be clear from the description and drawings.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrange ment of details coming within the field of inven tion claimed may be resorted to in actual pracwhat is wardly projecting bevelled toothed rib on its.

lower edge portion in alignment with the junctural connection between said shank and tooth, and having a tooth anchoring flange also on its lower edge portion and facing rearwardly, and clip means on the upper end of said shank whereby latter may be attached to and hung, from a co-acting upper portion of said mold-v board, said clip means embodying a keeper flange.

2. In a structural assemblage of the class shown and described, a bulldozer moldboard provided along its top portion with a horizontal ledge flange, said flange being provided at one end with a retainer notch, a plurality of vertle cally disposed lugs rigidly secured on and rising above said flange, said lugs having vertically. elongated slots, a relatively heavy latch .rod.

fitted removably in the slot in said lugs, said rod paralleling said ledge flange and having a handle at one end normally seated in said retainer notch the lengths of said slots being greater than the cross section of said rod, and a plurality of excavating units provided on their upper ends with right angularly shaped adapter clips sus--' pended on said ledge flange, said clips having upstanding keeper flanges releasably engaged with and held in place by said rod.

3. An attachment for a bulldozer moldboard comprising a linearly straight rigid shank having an obtuse-angled tooth at its lower end, a clip embodying a depending abutment flange secured intermediate its ends to the upper end of said shank and disposed at right angles to the axis of the shank, having a vertical upstanding keeper flange on a plane above the upper end of said shank and having an intervening horizontal flange between the abutment flange and keeper flange, a rectangular frame constituting a cleat and secured to the shank adjacent to the upper end of said tooth, said frame having a forwardly projecting bevelled rib and said rib being serrated and providing teeth and having, in addi tion, a rearwardly projecting anchoring flange adapted to engage with a lower edge portion of said moldboard.

4. In a structural assemblage of the class described, a bulldozer moldboard provided along its top portion with a horizontal ledge flange, a vertically elongated lug rigidly secured to and rising above the plane of said flange, said lug having a vertically elongated rod accommodating slot therein, an excavating unit comprising a shank having a tooth at its lower end, having toothed cleat means at said lower end provided with complemental means for releasably engag- G ing an edge portion of said moldboard, a clip rigidly secured to the upper end of said shank and having a horizontal flange resting on said ledge flange and provided, in addition, with a vertically extending keeper flange in alignment with said lug and offset to one side of the vertical dimension of said slot, and a latch rod ad-- justably and removably mounted in the slot in said lug, said latch rod being cylindrical in cross section and of a cross section less than the length of the slot and being engageable with said keeper flange.

CLAYTON B. FOSTER.

Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 524,260 Merridith Aug. 17, 1894 1,622,619 Warren Mar. 29, 1927 2,281,923 Fletcher May 5, 1942 2 302,702 Leschinsky Nov. 24, 1942 2,322,432 Forte June 22, 1943 

